LOW-cost airlines using Stansted Airport have slammed BAA's planning application to expand operations at the west Essex terminal.

BAA is prepared to spend about £550m on increasing the capacity of the existing runway from 241,000 to 264,000 flights and from 25m to 35m passengers per year, if plans are approved by Uttlesford District Council.

But the Stansted Airline Consultative Committee - whose members include low-cost airlines Ryanair and easyJet, British Airways and the British Air Transport Association - claim BAA is "abusing their monopoly" and has "failed to explain why the development requires anything close to this level of expenditure".

And the group has called on Transport Secretary Alistair Darling to intervene in BAA's plans to spend a further £4 billion on proposals for a second runway.

Stansted Airline Consultative Committee chairman David O'Brien said: "Over the past 18 months the ACC has been at pains to ensure additional facilities at Stansted meet user requirements and are provided in a cost effective manner.

"However BAA insists on wasting billions of pounds to build gold-plated facilities that no-one wants and that consumers will be expected to pay for through higher airport charges.

"The proposals put forward by BAA have been unanimously rejected by users on the basis that they do not meet their reasonable requirements, are unnecessarily costly and require excessive land acquisition, which impacts on both costs and the local community."

However BAA Stansted managing director Terry Morgan defended the application and said the airlines are simply haggling over the price per passenger.

Although he admitted fees for airlines would have to increase to meet the developments - the current price per passenger is set at £3 but could rise to £5 - Mr Morgan stressed it was up to the airline to decide how that was filtered to the passengers.

Mr Morgan said: "The airlines have made it very clear they want the airport to grow - why wouldn't they as it's better business for them. But the discount will unwind as the expansion goes up.

"This might put the price of budget fairs up but travellers have to keep a persepctive - in the bigger picture the cost of travelling will not be altered considerably by an extra £2."